Noble and Greenough School Course Catalog

Latin IV Honors students continue to develop their confidence in reading Latin through a close study of prose and poetry. Students will expand their vocabulary and refine their understanding of grammar and syntax. The Latin reading selections offer students an opportunity to learn about the historical context and cultural patterns in the ancient Roman world. Students will understand how ancient writers use language and structure to convey a particular message, theme, or tone. The course is designed to give students a strong appreciation of the art of translation and to teach students how to think critically and write effectively about Latin literature. Students will read selections from Sallust, Cicero, Catullus, Ovid, and Vergil.

This advanced course provides Class I students an opportunity to build on the skills of analysis, argument, and research acquired in prior core history courses, to work as a student historians, and to pursue a substantial college-level research project, culminating in a 25-30-page honors thesis. The course is designed to help students identify and explore a research topic that interests them, develop the capacity to work independently, and use primary and secondary sources in the construction of a historical argument. The first semester will provide students with a foundation for researching and writing their thesis during the second semester. While students will often work independently, they will also meet regularly with the instructor, a librarian and their classmates to review and assess their work, and to discuss current historical literature and research methods.

Honors Algebra I is offered to those students who, in Pre-Algebra, have demonstrated very strong interest and ability in mathematics. All of the Algebra I topics described above will be included in the Honors course, but the formal operations and manipulations of algebra will receive greater emphasis in the Honors sections and the pace of coverage will be accelerated as well.

While covering essentially the same syllabus as the regular geometry course, students in Honors Geometry will move at a faster pace, cover topics in greater depth, and be required to do significantly more formal proof-writing. A student must demonstrate strong interest and background in mathematics and high achievement in a comprehensive Algebra I course to earn consideration from the Department for honors placement.

Honors Algebra II covers the underlying theory and unifying connections between topics more deeply than the regular and accelerated sections of Algebra II, where more emphasis is given to exposure than to depth. It includes coverage of: polynomial functions, equations, and inequalities; the complex number system; advanced factoring techniques and binomial expansion; rational functions; trigonometry; properties of exponents and logarithms.

This course covers all of the topics of Precalculus plus complex numbers, vectors, induction, matrices, followed by BC Calculus topics, specifically the theory of limits, the derivative, techniques of differentiation, and applications of derivatives. The pace of this course is rapid and therefore the course is open by invitation only to those students who, in the opinion of the math department, have demonstrated strong interest and performed at a consistently high level in their previous mathematics courses.

This course is an intensive, accelerated study of French II. Students are urged to develop levels of fluency and continue in the development of grammatical skills. Classes are oral-based and students are expected to make frequent presentations to the class and contributions to class discussion. They extend their knowledge of the Francophone world through writing assignments, short stories, and discussion.

This course is an intensive, accelerated study of French III. Students will develop their level of oral proficiency by speaking exclusively in French while reviewing and expanding accelerated grammar structures. The students will read several Francophone texts, a novel, and a play as they extend their knowledge of French-speaking countries through audiovisual materials, art, oral presentations, and multi-media projects. Students will develop both creative and analytical writing skills. This course completes the Modern Language requirement for graduation.

This course continues to develop the skills that have been studied in the previous levels of French. Students engage in a thorough review of complex grammar and nuanced vocabulary terms in order to speak more like native speakers as well as develop both their speaking and writing skills. Students also read selected works from the 17th to the 21st centuries and watch films with the goal of a deeper understanding of Francophone culture and history. Students are expected to practice their writing, speaking, and listening skills by communicating exclusively in French.

French VH will focus on oral fluency using literature, film, history and current events. Readings will include Voltaire's Candide, Flaubert's Madame Bovary, Colombani's La Tresseand/or and/or Mariama Ba’s Une Si Longue Lettre. Films will include La Haine, La Jetée, les intouchables, and a television mini-series, Disparue. Students will be evaluated based on their oral participation, various required presentations and short critical essay writing.

This course is an intensive, accelerated study of Spanish II. Students are urged to develop levels of fluency and continue in the development of grammatical skills. Classes are oral-based and students are expected to make frequent presentations to the class and contributions to class discussion. They extend their knowledge of the Spanish world through writing assignments, the reading of a novel, other short readings and discussion.

Spanish III Honors is an intensive and expanded study of Spanish III, covering vocabulary acquisition and grammar with a strong emphasis on oral proficiency. Students develop their level of oral proficiency by speaking exclusively in Spanish while reviewing and adding to accelerated grammar structures. Students learn about, investigate, and discuss current cultural themes in Spanish-speaking countries, demonstrating their comprehension through seminars, projects and presentations. Also, they read short stories by Latin American authors and watch films in the target language. Finally, the students focus on developing greater sophistication in their writing through a number of varied formsThis course completes the Modern Language requirement for graduation.

This course continues to develop the skills that have been studied in the previous levels of Spanish. Students will engage in a thorough review of complex grammar and nuanced vocabulary terms in order to speak more like native speakers as well as develop both their speaking and writing skills. Students will also read selected works from the 17th to the 21st centuries and watch films with the goal of a deeper understanding of Spanish-speaking culture and history. Students will be expected to practice their writing, speaking, and listening skills by communicating exclusively in Spanish.

Spanish V Honors will focus on conversation fluency while sharpening grammar skills and expanding vocabulary. From caballeros to conquistadores to criollos, the Spanish have a flair for both noble and ignoble pursuits. Tracing the adventurous spirit as evinced in diaries of discoveries, and testimonies of cultures in contact, students will come to understand what motivated the era of discovery, the riches it brought, the destruction it wrought, and the synthesis of societies that we find today in Latin America. Students will continue their journey through Central and South America, exploring the development of language, culture, literature, film and current events from the South American Spanish-speaking countries. Sources will include current media as well as works of literature, music and the visual arts.

Heritage Spanish - Honors is designed for heritage speakers of Spanish who have grown up using the language at home or in their communities and are ready to refine their skills in an immersive, collaborative environment. It is not intended for beginner learners but for students with a foundational proficiency in Spanish. Students will enhance their written and oral communication skills, expand their vocabulary, and gain a deeper understanding of Spanish in both academic and social contexts. The collaborative learning environment fosters connections with peers while celebrating the rich diversity of Spanish-speaking communities. With a rigorous focus on academic Spanish, this course challenges students to think critically and write with precision and creativity. Upon completion, students will be assessed and placed into the appropriate level of the Spanish curriculum, ensuring a personalized and meaningful continuation of their language learning journey.

The Honors Chamber Ensemble is designed for advanced, experienced instrumentalists eager to explore a diverse repertoire, including European classical music and other genres. The group meets one day a week in the academic day during a new, third M-Block. Participation is by audition only and is open to musicians from all instrument families, including winds, percussion, piano, and strings.

In this course students take a molecular approach when studying the relationships between structure, function, and the maintenance of homeostasis in ecological and biological systems. This honors course offers a similar beginning to that of Biology, but midway through the first term, the molecular basis for biological phenomena is heavily emphasized, and a more abstract, quantitative approach is used to discuss topics including energy transfer and cellular chemistry. Students continue with a theoretical look at evolution and speciation, and transition back to the human body for a comprehensive study of human anatomy and physiology during the second term.

Honors Chemistry students study a branch of natural science that deals principally with the properties of substances, the changes they undergo, and the natural laws that describe these changes. Topics in this rigorous, quantitatively-oriented course include measurement, atomic structure and chemical bonding, chemical reactions and stoichiometry, gases and condensed phases, reaction kinetics, chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics, acid-base reactions, electrochemistry, and nuclear chemistry. Students develop competence with experimental design, data analysis, and a wide range of laboratory techniques. Students are expected to have strong algebraic skills, as they will tackle most of the topics in a quantitative manner.

Honors Physics provides a quantitative formulation of the fundamental laws of physics and their relation to physical phenomena, and it prepares students for university courses in science and engineering. The course covers the following topics: one- and two-dimensional motion, Newton’s laws, the universal law of gravitation, work and energy, oscillations, momentum conservation, electrostatics, and electrical circuits. The course has a significant lab component with a strong focus on practical problem solving in the lab, using both empirical and theoretical methods. Emphasis is placed on experimental design, data collection and analysis, and interpretation and communication of experimental outcomes.